A recipe for medicinal success!

That list of ingredients on your prescription medication can seem a bit scary, but everything in there has a specific purpose.

The active component is the actual medicine that does the healing, but often times needs some help to get its job done.

Many of those other ingredients help the medicine travel safely on its journey through your system. Some prevent the active from falling apart, while others ensure that pills disintegrate to spread out the medicine evenly. Certain ingredients make sure the active stays in your body for the right amount of time, and others help navigate it to its intended destination.

It is also important to protect the medicine before it enters your body. Various ingredients give the medicine stability , and coatings can help prevent moisture from breaking it down while it sits in your medicine cabinet. Make sure you’re not taking any medication that has expired though; those ingredients can’t shelter the medicine forever!

Even colors are important to help people distinguish their medications and make sure you aren’t accidentally taking the wrong one!

All ingredients go through rigorous testing to ensure their safety, but everyone has a unique biology and can react differently. Don’t hesitate to talk with your health care providers if you have any concerns. It’s your health and safety after all!